Pumpkin Cheesecake from FIVE cookbook

30th January 2015

Before I get to today’s post, which is a recipe from a great new cookbook you’ll love to hear about, I want to spend a few words to tell you about my new blog layout! I launched Mondomulia’s new look on Monday and I’m incredibly happy with the response I’ve had so far! Thank you to everyone who has written me kind words about the new layout.

The project of re-styling Mondomulia started (in my mind at least) two years ago, though the designing and coding started a lot later. I desperately wanted a more grown-up look to replace my vintage photo header which I didn’t feel represented me anymore. I needed a brand image to tell my readers and clients what Mondomulia is about (reviews, recipes, travel, coffee, cocktails and lifestyle).

After a long brain-storming I commenced the real work: I bought a new WP theme on Etsy and I hired an amazing Amsterdam -based illustrator called Chiara Vercesi. She is incredibly talented and working with her was super easy as she immediately understood what I needed. The first draft of illustrations was the one! A few tweaks to the colours and my new header was born! I hope you like it! :)

In order to launch my new blog theme with Chiara’s illustrations I had to migrate my blog to a self-hosted page and move from WordPress.com to WordPress.org. My husband Sandy did all of this on Saturday working until 3 in the morning making sure everything looked good, the links worked, etc. So a big thank you to Sandy, as I wouldn’t have done anything without him!

Rachel is the food editor at Abel&Cole, an organic food delivery company that offers seasonal fruit and vegetables boxes, as well as meat, fish, dairy, eggs and bakery goods. To promote the launch of the new cookbook (which will be out on February 15th), I received a gourmet box of seasonal veggies along with a copy of the book. In the box I got butternut squash, golden beetroots, lettuce, rebellion tomatoes, red onions, romanesco cauliflower, shiitake mushrooms, swede and avocado. I decided to use the squash to make this cheesecake recipe by Rachel de Thample.

Ingredients

1 kg pumpkin or squash (I used two small squash, when roasted and peeled they weighed 700g)

200g walnuts, toasted

100g dates, pitted

1 tbsp cocoa powder

2 tsp ground cinnamon

75g soft brown sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1tsp ground cloves

250g cream cheese

250ml double cream

sea salt

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 220ºC. Put a large roasting tin in the oven to heat.

Cut the pumpkin or squash into wedges. Scoop out the seeds, add a pinch of salt and tumble onto the roasting tin. Roast for 30 minutes or until tender enough to mash.

Whizz the toasted walnuts, pitted dates, cocoa powder, one teaspoon of cinnamon and a little salt in a blender or food processor until fully ground. Press into a 20cm springform tin and chill in the fridge.

Once the pumpkin/squash is cooked, scoop the flesh from the skin and blend to a purée. Add the sugar and remaining spices. Once the mix is cool, whip in the cream cheese and cream. Taste, and add more spices, if needed. Spread the mix over the chilled base.